1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera, more particularly an electronic still camera which is easy to operate.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic still camera is comprised of an imaging device such as a charge coupled device (CDD), an optical system including lenses and a stop for forming an image of an object on the imaging device, a first storage unit for storing raw image data, a shutter unit, a secondary storage unit recording the picture data on a portable and detachable memory medium such as a memory card or an IC card provided with a memory, and a display unit such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) for showing the information input to the imaging device and the image data recorded in the first storage unit and/or the memory medium. An electronic still camera is designed to take and record still pictures.
An explanation will first be given of the EE mode (electric-electric) mode wherein the image of an object formed on the imaging device is shown as it is on the display unit. The image of the object formed on the imaging device through the optical system is converted into electrical signals and shown directly on the display unit. Pictures on the display unit in the EE mode are shown successively in short time periods, so are perceived by the user to be moving pictures. The picture on the display unit in this EE mode is called an EE picture. When using the electronic still camera to take a picture, the user decides on the composition of the object and then pushes the shutter. The image formed on the imaging device when the shutter is pushed is successively recorded in the memory medium by the secondary storage unit.
Next, an explanation will be made of a reproduction mode wherein the image data recorded in the memory medium by the secondary recording unit is displayed on the display unit. The user sets the electronic still camera to the reproduction mode and then designates the image to be reproduced. As a result of this operation, the electronic still camera reads out the designated image data from the memory medium through the secondary storage unit and shows it on the display unit. The picture in this reproduction mode is called the "reproduction picture". The reproduced picture is shown one frame at a time on the display unit and therefore is a still picture.
The user takes a picture of an object while viewing the image in the EE mode and then examines the reproduced picture to confirm the image recorded in the memory medium loaded in the secondary storage unit. As a result, there are the following disadvantages in the image display in conventional electronic still cameras.
The image taken by the EE mode is used to decide on the composition of the shot and to take the picture. To check the image recorded in the memory medium loaded in the secondary storage unit as a result of this shot, it is necessary to set the electronic still camera once to the reproduction mode and then designate the image to be reproduced. Therefore, even when checking the image taken just before, it is necessary to set the electronic still camera from the EE mode to the reproduction mode each time desiring to check the picture and to designate the image desired to be confirmed, making the operation troublesome. Further, when desiring to resume taking pictures once again after the confirmation, it is necessary to set the electronic still camera again from the reproduction mode to the EE mode, making it extremely troublesome to shoot pictures and confirm them at the same time.
There is known a method of operating the electronic still camera in a predetermined manner so as to display information stored in a first memory unit temporarily storing image data for compression and recordal in a memory medium loaded in a secondary storage unit, but this method is for confirmation as to whether the still picture data had been suitably stored in the memory medium by the secondary storage unit, not the content of the still picture data recorded in the memory medium loaded in the secondary storage unit itself.